Macbeth
by Shield and Sword
Summary: It's Macbeth recast with Seto as the main character and stays mainly true to the play. COMPLETED!
1.

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE_**

**But first, a disclaimer:**

If anything, this is fan fiction with most of the characters borrowed from Yu-Gi-Oh! All of those characters are the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi. But everyone else is mine and no one can take them away from me!

**Now to the note:**

            Kudos, Shakespeare – you wrote 37 plays.

            Unfortunately, this last one kind of sucks.

            Oh, it's great, but time and place aren't well defined in this play. Sometime in between Act Two and Act Three, for example, we have Macbeth in Dunsinane all of a sudden. However, Banquo is still hanging around like he's some kind of kinky roommate. But he's had time to think because he's come to the conclusion that Macbeth must've killed Duncan, so now he's a SUSPICIOUS kinky roommate.

            I didn't like this. Using artistic license as my defense, I set the first scene of Act Three at Scone and tried to tidy up all the loose ends from there. That makes Yami Yuugi, my Banquo, a little quicker on the uptake and less of a leech.

            But that's just one of the changes. I've done all sorts of things – distort space and time, paraphrase like crazy, move things around, and get rid of things/people. I hope the reader will forgive me, because I've got a reason: no one thinks like Shakespeare anymore. I'm not sure anyone even thought like that in his day.

            Last note: Macbeth reigned from 1040 to 1057 – that's seventeen years. That's long enough to become a tyrant. But old Willie was rushed, so he made the whole affair happen in, like, days. I tried to rectify this but I didn't do a very good job. I'm sorry.

Have fun reading anyway.

*****

**_THE STORY_**

The witches finished their casting.

"Ooh! That was fun!" Serenity said. "Let's do that again!"

Ishizu held her hand to her necklace. "We shall when the hurly-burly's done, when the battle's last and won."

"That'll be at the end of the day," Téa said. She bent to pick up the cauldron. For all its wrought iron, it was surprisingly light.

Serenity knelt to help her pick up some of the ingredients they'd used – a withered hand, a rat's tail. "Where will we meet next time?"

"Upon the heath," Ishizu said.

Téa stood. "We're going to meet Kaiba."

"Oh!" Serenity said. She started. "Ah! Coming, kitty! I mean, Graymalkin!"

Once again, Ishizu held her necklace. "Paddock calls!"

Téa stepped forward with her cauldron. "I'm coming!"

"Fair is foul and foul is fair," they chanted. "Hover through the fog and filthy air!"

Ishizu, Téa, and Serenity walked into the haze, which was quickly melted by the sun.

*****

There would be battle on the moors of Scotland. Norwegians and Scots fell alike – death does not play favorites. It did, however, allow a heavily wounded captain to race behind the ever less tumultuous battlefield and bring news of the struggle to the king.

King Gozaburo and his sons, Bakura and Noah, had regrouped. Their horses were tied to a band of trees nearby. With them were Tristan and a couple of attendants. Gozaburo spotted the captain, who sighed with relief upon finding them, and asked, "Who is that? He comes from the battle."

"He's a sergeant on our side," Bakura answered. "Cheerio, there!" he said as he waved to the approaching soldier. "What knowledge do you have of the battle as you left it?"

The captain wiped his crimson face with a bloody cloth before sitting at attention on his weary horse. "It was a stalemate. Halfway into the battle, Macdonwald – the epitome of evil! – received reinforcements from Hebrides, and it seemed like fate was on his side. But then Kaiba – and he deserves that name – appeared. His sword seemed to be smoking – it had carved a path out of Macdonwald's men – and with it, Kaiba drew and quartered him, and put his head on a spike."

Gozaburo nodded. "Impressive."

The captain licked his dry lips and continued. "But just as the Irish mercenaries had decided to run, the Norwegian king saw his chance and began a fresh attack with new men."

The king leaned forward. "Seto and Yuugi – what did they do?"

"They redoubled their attacks," the soldier said as he shifted his position and winced. "I can't tell if they were trying to flood the battlefield with blood, or – ah!" He clenched his side.

Gozaburo sat back. "Your words and wounds give you glory." He snapped his fingers at his attendants. "You, find someone to help him!" He turned to watch them leave, but his attention was drawn to Inogashira and another thane approach. "Who is this?" he asked of the latter as he got off his horse.

Again, Bakura answered: "It's Daemon, Thane of Ross, Father."

"God save the king," Daemon said with a bow.

"Where did you come from?" Gozaburo said.

"Fife, my king," Daemon said as he stood, "where the Norwegian flag waved against us. However, more important is the Thane of Cawdor's treason. When Norway attacked, he joined them. But our fierce men matched their power, and we won against their king and our thane."

"Congratulations," Gozaburo acknowledged.

"King Sweno asked for terms," Daemon added, "but we wouldn't even allow him to bury his men until he had paid reparations of ten thousand dollars at Saint Colme's Inch."

"The Thane of Cawdor will not do this again," Gozaburo decided. "Announce his death, and give his title to Seto."

Daemon bowed before mounting his horse. "It shall be done, my liege."

Gozaburo mounted his horse as well. His sons followed suit. "What he hath lost, noble Seto hath won," the king remarked.

*****

Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled.

It landed a six.

Frightened, Serenity clutched her familiar. It mewed impatiently.

Suddenly, there was a displacement of air. Serenity breathed a sigh of relief. "Téa, where have you been?"

"Killing pigs," she said offhandedly. She looked around. "Where's Ishizu? Are we early?"

"Here I am!" Ishizu called from by a tree. When her witch companions had neared, she asked Serenity: "What have thee been doing? Thy familiar's anxious."

Serenity related her tale eagerly – being a witch was still new to her. "I asked a scabby lady for some of her the chestnuts she was eating, but she wouldn't give me any, so I'm going to sail in a sieve to wreck her husband's ship."

Ishizu nodded. "I'll give thee wind."

"Thanks, Ishizu!" Serenity said happily.

"I will, too," Téa said.

Serenity nodded determinedly. "And I'll have the others, and their ports, and their directions. That lady's husband will be cursed, so that he can't sleep. And his ship will ride terrible storms!" Serenity took a sharp breath, like she'd remembered something. She drew a severed finger from her robes. "Oh, and look what I've got! It's the thumb of a helmsman who also came home cursed."

Téa picked up the thing with her index finger and thumb. "Cool!"

"Hark!" Ishizu said in response to a signal only she heard. "A drum, a drum! Kaiba doth come!"

The three witches watched Seto and Yami Yuugi patiently. Their path would take them by the tree.

_So foul and fair a day I have not seen,_ Seto thought.

"How far is it to Forres?" Yami Yuugi called ahead to Seto. Then the witches caught his eye. "What are these? So wild and withered in their appearance, they don't look like anything alive, but are here on earth." He brought his horse to a trot and stopped before Serenity. "Well?" he prompted for an answer. "You understand me with a finger to your lips. What are you?"

Seto brought his horse around to join Yami Yuugi's. "Speak if you can! Answer him."

Serenity stood up to him, and her voice rang clearly. "All hail Kaiba! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!"

Téa stood beside her. "All hail Kaiba!" she echoed. "Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"

"All hail Kaiba!" Ishizu echoed from by the tree. "You shalt be king hereafter!"

Seto gasped. He involuntarily jerked his horse's rein, causing it to start and neigh.

Yami Yuugi looked at Seto curiously. "Kaiba, what was that? They predict great things." He returned his attention to the youngest witch. "Are you real? My partner you greet with good prophecies, rendering him speechless. To me, you speak not. If you can see into the seeds of time, speak then, to me. I am not afraid."

"Hail!" the witches cried in unison. Yami Yuugi's horse started, but he quckly brought it under control.

"Lesser than Kaiba and greater," Serenity said.

"Not as lucky, but chosen by fate," Téa said.

"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none," Ishizu said. "So all hail Kaiba and Yami!"

At the second iteration of his name, Seto came to life. "Talk straight," he growled. "Tell me more. My father's dead, so I've Glamis, but the Thane of Cawdor still lives. Even less believable is your prophecy that I'll be king." He brought his horse forward and around, so that he looked down on the witches. "Tell me how you now this, or why are you telling us this at all." When they did not respond, he barked: "Talk!"

Ishizu and Téa, then Serenity, threw silvery fine dust into the air. Before it had finished falling, they had vanished. Air rushed in to replace their missing corporal forms with small _pff_'s. The whole trick scared the two horses and rather than force them to stay, Seto and Yami Yuugi continued on their way. "Those women are bubbles of the earth," Yami Yuugi commented. "I wonder where they went."

"Into the air." Seto chuffed, vexed. "They should've stayed."

Yami Yuugi tightened his grip on the reins. "Did the things we are talking about really happen?" he asked softly. "Or have we swallowed some poisonous root that takes away your sanity?"

"Your children shall be king," Seto repreated.

"You shall be king," Yami returned.

"And Thane of Cawdor," Seto whispered to himself. "That was what they said."

The rattling and jangling of approaching horse equipment shook the two out of their reverie. "Who is this?" Yami Yuugi asked.

Daemon and Inogashira slowed their horses to match Seto's and Yami Yuugi's. Daemon waved an arm in greeting. "Kaiba! Gozaburo has heard of your success, and his speechless wonder vied with his desire to offer praise. While he was silenced, messenger after messenger arrived with your praises."

"But we were sent not to pay you, but to present you to Gozaburo," Inogashira added.

"As a promise of greater reward," Daemon said, "Gozaburo asks that I call you Cawdor's lord. So hail, Thane of Cawdor, for that title is yours."

Yami Yuugi gasped. "What? Is this true?"

"The Thane of Cawdor still lives," Seto murmured. Louder, he asked Daemon: "Why do you call me by someone else's name?"

"The old thane's alive, yes, but it was ruled that he should die," Inogashira said. "Whether he was involved in a conspiracy with Norway or with MacDonwald, I don't know, but his treasons ratted him out."

_Glamis__ and Cawdor!_ Seto thought. _That's already two out of three_. He drew his horse beside Yami's. "Yuugi – the promise to me was kept. Do you have hope for your children?"

Yami Yuugi studied him. "The throne was also promised to you," he said quietly. "But it is strange. Our downfalls are often preceded by seductive truths." He looked apologetically at Daemon and Inogashira. "Excuse us a word, friends," he said as he pulled his horse back.

Seto followed suit. He hissed dissent: "Yuugi, these two truths will be prologues to great things, not our downfall." Rejoining Daemon and Inogashira, he said: "Thank you, gentlemen." 

But his mind had far from returned. _This can't be good or bad_, Seto thought. _Nothing evil begins with truth – I am Thane of Cawdor._ _But nothing good raises panic like it does now._ Unbeknownst to him, Seto was letting his horse slow dramatically while he mused. _I should forget this. Invented horrors are worse than real fears… But my thoughts keep me from acting – I can only imagine and invent, and nothing is but what is not!_

Yami Yuugi observed Seto's agitation and explained to Daemon an Inogashira: Look, the newly named Thane of Cawdor is speechless."

This time, the mention of his name failed to reel Seto to reality. His thoughts continued rambling. _If fate has decided I'll be king, then maybe it'll happen without my doing…_

Yami Yuugi chuckled nervously. "He's still not in the habit of answering to his new title, I'm afraid." He slipped Seto a   
  
worried glance as he slowed his horse. "I'm sure he'll get used to it in time."

Meanwhile, Seto sought to reassure himself with nature's predictability. _If worse comes to worse, whatever happens, time will continue to run._

"Kaiba," Yuugi called back. "We stay upon your leisure."

"Huh?" Seto looked up. His horse was lagging far behind the others. Daemon and Inogashira were giving him curious glances, and a little behind them, Yami Yuugi had a worried look on his face. "Ha!" Seto grunted as he squeezed his horse's sides, prompting it to speed up. "I apologize," he said to the thanes as he drew near Yuugi. "I was just thinking. But now, let's move." He whispered to Yami Yuugi: "But think about what's happened. We'll talk later." When Yami Yuugi nodded, Seto further sped up until he passed Daemon and Inogashira. "Come on," he dared them. "Gozaburo's waiting."


	2. 

Thank you, reviewees! It's great to know that my story didn't get lost among the hundred others.

MotherChowGoddess: I'm saving Mai for a cameo role – it'll make sense as soon as you find out who I've cast as Macduff. Regarding Lady Macbeth, part of my theory is that she was from a clan that had long been involved with a blood feud with Gozaburo's. … I mean Duncan's.

macbeth: yes.

Delta VT: I'm fonder of R&J. Or at least I thought so. You know what? Never mind. I've gotten all wishy-washy and I need to write an essay after this. You keep on liking Macbeth.

How am I regarding OOC-ness?

*****

Gozaburo paced uneasily in his castle at Forres. Finally, he inquired on Cawdor, although that was not first on his mind. "The thane – aren't the executioners back from killing him yet?"

"No, Father, they're not," Bakura said. "But I spoke with someone who saw him die, and they said he confessed fully and asked for your pardon. It seemed like he died nobly."

Gozaburo waved a hand dismissively and continued pacing. "It's a pity there's no skill that could have tested his sincerity. Even I trusted him."

The grand double doors opened, admitting Seto, Yami Yuugi, Daemon, and Inogashira. The king welcomed Seto with a handshake and a hearty slap on the back. "Seto! I'm still frustrated that there's no way I can fully reward you after all you've done!" He pulled him away and held him by the shoulders. "Cousin, if you'd done less, I could give you what you deserve, but as it is, your deeds are worth more than I can pay."

"Service and loyalty are their own rewards." Seto said. "It's your duty to receive our obligations, and our bond is to you and yours."

"Is that so?" Gozaburo smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." He turned to greet Yami Yuugi. "And noble Yuugi, you deserve no less, so let me keep you in my heart."

Yami Yuugi bowed. "There, if I grow, the harvest is your own."

Gozaburo faced all present. "I'm afraid I must turn to more serious matters now – I speak of our estate." He beckoned Bakura to him, and clapped a hand on his shoulder when he came. "I name as my heir, Bakura, the new Prince of Cumberland." Noah and Seto gave small gasps no one heard. _How could he?_ Each thought. "And, of course, everyone who deserves it will receive honors as well." He shook Bakura roughly in a congratulatory way. "But let's go to Seto's Inverness to spread the word."

Seto nodded. "Allow me to play messenger and tell my wife you are coming. I go." He left, too engrossed in his thoughts to hear Gozaburo further boast of his acquisition of Cawdor. 

_The Prince of Cumberland! _He thought to himself. _If my prophecy is to come true, I'll have to defeat this obstacle._ He entered the stables and mounted his horse. It reared before he was able to ride. _Stars,__ hide your fires!_ Seto mentally called out. _Let not light see my black and deep desires! The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see!_

Inside, Gozaburo took a sip of wine from his goblet. "Very true," he said in response to Yami Yuugi's comment. "He is as brave as you said he was. His praises are a feast for me." He adjusted his cap and walked out of the room. Yami Yuugi followed. "Let's hurry after Seto," he called to Yami from the hallway, "my kinsman without equal."

*****

At Inverness, Lady Sakura Kaiba sat at a table with a candle while she read her husband's letter. His voice echoed in her head:

_"The Weird sisters met me when the battle ended, and they knew more than they should. But they disappeared before I could ask them anymore. They greeted me as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king. I wanted to let you know of these promises to us. Lay it to your heart, and farewell."_

Sakura stood. "Yes, Seto, you are thane of Glamis and now of Cawdor, and you _will_ be king." She fell onto the bed nearby. "But I'm afraid you're not ruthless enough to seize the opportunity when it comes. You could be great but not if you have to be cruel. If you want something, you have to get it through proper means." Sakura groaned in frustration as she sat up. "This time if you want it, Seto, you'll have to play dirty." She seized a pillow and whispered into a corner as she worried it. "Hurry, Kaiba, and I will speak strength into you, and I will rebuke everything in your way until you wear that crown in your head."

There was a knock on the door. Sakura put the pillow away and groomed herself. She responded to a second knock: "Come in! What do you want?"

The messenger boy at the door bowed his head. "Gozaburo is coming."

Sakura approached him, intimidating him with her stern and regal carriage. "Don't be stupid. If anyone, Seto would've told me that."

The messenger boy bowed even lower this time. "Milady, Master Kaiba is coming. But one of ours outraced him here – the lord hardly had enough breath to speak."

Sakura cocked her head. "Is that so? Leave me, then, and tend to him."

The errand boy left. The door shut closely after his heels, spooking him into moving quickly.

Inside, Sakura paced. "A hoarse raven announces Gozaburo's fatal entrance." She stopped and clenched a shaking fist. "Kindness, flee," she whispered. "I call on spirits to fill me with cruelty. I will feel no remorse. I will not let my weakness get in the way of my purpose. Give me a dark tonight – no one must see what happens."

The door opened and Sakura stiffened. Upon seeing her husband, she relaxed and greeted him with a hug. "Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, greater than both by your future kingship." She kissed him on the lips. "I got your letter," she said.

Seto caressed her face. "Sakura, Gozaburo comes tonight."

"And when will he leave?" she asked.

"Tomorrow."

Sakura pulled away. "No, he won't," she said with a slight smile. "Seto, your face is an open book – close it! Greet our king with welcomes, and let me take care of the rest. You and I will rule Scotland, I swear it."

Seto put a finger on her lips. "We'll talk later," he said before leaving.

"Watch your face," she reminded him. "Leave everything else to me."

*****

None of Gozaburo's had been at Inverness before. And the thanes did not visit often. Bakura and Noah admired the place in general – Seto kept Inverness in flawless condition. The extremely decorated furniture was perfect; the silverware already set at on the table shined with reflections. Tristan, Joey, Daemon, and Inogashira spoke quietly in the middle of the room, commenting on Seto's prosperity.

Gozaburo studied a mantle and the magnificent decorations above it. "I'm impressed," he said as he continued to inspect the room.

Yami Yuugi joined him in front of the fireplace. He looked up, at the rafters. "The house marten builds its nest here, and I've observed the bird only does so in an exalted place."

Sakura entered the dining hall dressed in a reflective red that captured the eye. It hung close to her body as she approached the men. "Ah, Lady Kaiba!" Gozaburo exclaimed. "Thank you for being prepared on such short notice – but know that the trouble I'm causing you it the result of my love."

She bowed. "It's a privilege to have you here. And always we are willing to serve you, in return for honoring us."

Gozaburo and Yami Yuugi rejoined the others in the middle of the room. "Where is Seto?" the king asked. "I had intended to be his purveyor, not the other way around, when I followed him, but your husband rides well, and he arrived before us. As it is, we are your guests tonight."

"Again, our pleasure," Sakura said.

"Give me your hand," Gozaburo said, offering his to take hers. "Lead me to my host. I want to continue graces toward him." He kissed her hand. "By your leave, fair lady."

Sakura nodded. "Excuse us, gentlemen!" she called to Bakura and Noah, and the thanes. "Cool yourselves – you look weary. We will return soon!"

*****

Seto paced in his bedroom. He had left with Sakura only to return. Thoughts plagued his mind. "If it is over with the one stroke, then it should be done quickly. If it were that simple, that easy, I would gladly risk my soul to be king," he whispered rapidly to himself. "Let's say I did. By becoming king this way, I'd just be setting myself up for others to do the same to me. And Gozaburo is here in double trust: We're related, and he's my king – I should be protecting him, not plotting his assassination." Seto spoke more slowly, more calmly now. His pace slowed. "Besides, he hasn't been a bad king, and his deeds will speak to the angels. There really is no reason I should do this, just my ambition – "

His wife's entry interrupted his monologue. "What is it?" he asked.

"He's almost finished eating. Where have you been?" Sakura hissed angrily.

"Has Gozaburo asked for me again?" Seto asked.

"Of course!"

Seto sighed. "Call it off. He's just given me Cawdor. Assassination makes poor recompense."

Sakura grabbed his lapels with a hand. "Why are you changing your mind now? Did you talk yourself out of something again?" she asked mockingly. "Are you afraid to carry out your intentions? Will you live like the cat in the proverb, who wants to eat fish but will not get its paws wet?"

Seto pulled her hand off and studied it. Her fingers were well-trimmed and soft. "Sakura, hush. I will only do what is right. Anyone who does more is not a man."

Sakura pulled her hand out of his and walked past him, looking out the window on the other side of their bed. "Who was it, then, that wrote to me about a prophecy that he would become king? I don't care what you say; _he_ was man. There was neither time nor place to carry it out, but _he_ would have made them. Now, here is a time, here is a place, and you are scared! If I had decided to do so, I would take a baby sucking at my breast and dash his brains!"

"If we should fail – "

Sakura turned around and forced Seto to look her in the eye. "We fail? Kaiba, gather your courage – we will not fail." She drew close to him and tapped his lips and raced an imaginary line down his chin. "When Gozaburo is fast asleep, I'll come to make his guards drunk." Her finger was tracing down his chest now. Her voice became a whisper. "While they sleep, what can't we do?" She clenched the knife on his belt. "The guards will have our guilt."

Seto tipped Sakura onto the bed behind her and swooped to kiss her neck. "Sakura, your spirit will give us nothing but boys," he said as he fumbled for the buttons on the back of her dress. "Your plan can't fail."

She held his wrists, stopping him before he could finish. "Of course not. All we have to do is act." Sakura sat up, forcing Seto to rise with her. She placed his hands in her lap. "The will wants, but time is lacking."

Seto kissed her again and stood. "All right. I go to perform this terrible feat. Put on a good show." He held the door before leaving. "False face must hide what false heart doth know."

Sakura refastened the buttons of her dress and checked her face. Then she went to entertain her guests. A servant passing by the dining hall on the way to the stable heard cheery laughing.

*****

P.S.-type dealie

Just to make things clear:

King Duncan – Gozaburo Kaiba  
Malcolm – Bakura Ryou  
Donalbain – Noah Kaiba

Macbeth – Seto Kaiba  
Lady Macbeth – Sakura Yaminayama

Weird sisters: Ishizu Ishtar, Serenity Wheeler, and Téa Gardner

Ross – Daemon Vurtu  
Angus – Inogashira  
Lennox – Tristan Taylor

Macduff – Joey Wheeler

Banquo – Yami Yuugi

Of course, this is the only time I'll do this. I trust you to figure everyone else out yourself. Except for maybe Menteith and Caithness. But they don't really matter until the end, and even then, they're really so minor you can't tell them apart. At least I think so. If this offends anyone because they happen to be a huge Menteith/Caithness fan, I apologize. And then let me know, because I want to meet one.

And oh yeah… thank you guys for the reviews!


	3. 

"Goodnight then, Gozaburo, my lords, and my thanes!" Sakura said at party's end.

"I take it you won't be able ta entertain us any longa," Joey said

Seto stepped behind Sakura and held her possessively. "Your rooms are upstairs," he said coldly.

Gozaburo chuckled. "You needn't worry about a thing. It would hardly do to repay hospitality with unfriendly betrayal."

Sakura gave Gozaburo a false smile. "Indeed."

Confused by the tone of her voice, the king looked at his hostess curiously, but she had already taken the irony out of her smile. She gestured to a servant. "The attendants will see to you."

"Thank you," Noah said as the servitors led them up the stairs.

"Good night!" Seto called.

"Sleep well, Gozaburo!" Sakura could not resist adding.

The new thane of Cawdor and his wife were last to leave the dining hall. Seto drew his knife and hefted it. "Be patient," he murmured as he put it away.

He did not have to wait long. Excited anticipation closed Seto's eyes until Sakura woke him an hour later. "Up! It's now or never!"

He jerked awake. Sakura guided him out the door. "Go! Walk around! Stay awake!" she urged. "When the bell rings, go to his room!" she dashed away before he could ask any questions.

Words echoed in the corridor, causing Seto to jerk and snap his head to see the source of the voice. "How is the night, Yuugi?" he heard. _Yami__ Yuugi and his son_, Seto thought.

"It's late," Yuugi said.

Seto watched them come into view. The elder Yuugi stopped by a window and leaned on the sill. "Take my sword," Yami Yuugi said wearily. "The night is dark. I want to sleep but my dreams curse me."

_Best to leave them alone, _Seto thought. He stepped back but landed on unsure foot. To regain his balance, he grasped at his room's door, causing a soft boom.

Yami Yuugi reclaimed his sword from Yuugi. "Who's there?" he demanded.

Seto abandoned hopes of remaining hidden. "A friend," he said as he stepped into Yuugi's torchlight.

"What? Still not asleep, Kaiba?" Yami Yuugi asked. "Gozaburo is sleeping. He was unusually gracious today." He produced a diamond and handed it to Seto. "He wanted me to give this to Lady Sakura, in the name of most kind hostess."

"We don't deserve this, Seto said. "The entertainment and hospitality we offered wasn't our best."

Yami Yuugi smiled. "That's all right. Then, after glancing at his son, he drew near Seto and whispered: "I dreamed last night of the Weïrd sisters. To you they have shown some truth."

Seto studied the dark sky. "I had forgotten about them," he said. Then he returned his gaze to Yami. "But later, when we have time, we should discuss this further."

"If you wish, Yami agreed.

"If it does happen as they predicted, Yuugi, and you remain on my side," Seto said, "I will reward you."

"I'll keep that in mind and will be willing to listen when we talk," Yami Yuugi said.

"Peace until then," Seto said.

Yami nodded. "And the same to you." He tapped Yuugi's shoulder. "Come on, let's go to sleep."

Seto watched them leave and roamed his castle in Gozaburo's general direction.

Lady Kaiba approached the guards with the almost empty flask. "Is either one of you fools still awake?" she whispered, not really looking for an answer. She lifted the eyelid of one and found him asleep. Sakura visited the other and did the same. This time, however, the man came to life. He grabbed her and, laughing lecherously, pushed her onto Gozaburo's bed.

She grabbed the dagger out of his belt and brought the butt of the hilt onto the back of his head. He stopped moving and she pushed him off.

Sakura stood and approached Gozaburo with drawn dagger.

Seto closed his eyes and rubbed his temple in an attempt to remove the hallucination from before his eyes but failed. _Is this a dagger I see?_ He thought as he reached for it. It led out of his reach – to Gozaburo's – and he followed it. _No, it's just a figment of my imagination. But I call on you now!_

He drew his dagger and held it close to his face, roused by the touch of cold steel on flesh. He spoke to the dagger: "You led the way, and appeared before I summoned you. Either my eyes lied, or they're most trustworthy of my senses."

The thane looked up. The dagger, now covered with blood, still hung before him. _My eyes lied. Dreams run in the night. Witches sacrifice to Hecate, and the animated wolf howls his watch._

He spoke to himself, narrating his movements. "With steady pace, with ravishing strides, he moves with purpose. Be quiet, my steps – this instant is heightened by silence."

Suddenly, Seto stopped and shook his head. "While I talk, he lives," he chastised himself. "Words take away from the moment.

He continued to slink the hallways with his dagger before him. Seto heard a soft bell and smile. "I come, bell!" he laughed. "Hear it not, Gozaburo, for it is a knell that summons you to heaven or to hell!"

*****

Across the heath, two horsemen dressed in dark raced for Inverness.


	4. 

Okay, so this one's a little long. It makes up for Chapter Three being so short.

macbeth(): that would be pretty creepy … *maniacal laugh* but I'm not Jennifer. I'm a mind who wanders the psychic realm looking for a host that will channel me. This current one seems suitable enough. Anyway, thanks for the review!

*****

Sakura paced anxiously in the dining hall as she waited for Seto to arrive. To her annoyance, every sound startled her. She talked to herself ramblingly: "What made the guards drunk has made me bold. It has given them rest, but I am far from eased."

There was a hoot, and Sakura clutched a chair for support as she tripped. "The owl! Fatal bellman," she whispered. "He is about it. I set everything up for him. I drugged the guards – they mocked Gozaburo with their snores."

"Who's there?"

Sakura held a hand to her mouth – that was Seto's voice. Had someone woken up while he was still at it? "Where is he?" she asked as she continued pacing. "It shouldn't have taken this long. I laid the daggers on the table for him. Ha!" she spat derisively. "I would have killed Gozaburo myself if he hadn't looked like my father, the old fool." She stopped in midstep when her husband came down. "Kaiba?"

"I did it," Seto said. "Did you hear anything?"

"I heard the owl and the crickets." Sakura said. "And I think I heard you."

Seto looked at her. "Just now? As I was coming down?" Sakura nodded. Seto turned away. "Is it Noah who sleeps in the second room next to the stairs?" Again she nodded. He sighed. "I heard two voices. One laughed, one cried murder, and when their persons woke, they said their prayers."

"Bakura is in there with him," Sakura said.

"I realized that," Seto said. "What I want to know is why I couldn't say 'amen' when they finished."

"Don't think these things," his wife said contemptuously. "They'll make you go mad."

But Seto continued, his voice betraying his increased state of panic. "And then I thought I heard a voice say, 'Sleep no more! Kaiba has murdered sleep!' 'Glamis has murdered sleep!' it said, 'and so Cawdor will sleep no more. Kaiba will sleep no more.'"

Sakura turned Seto to face her and shook him. "Kaiba! Then who said it, if you even heard it? Get a grip!" She held his red hands – in each was a bloody dagger. "Seto! Go put these daggers back and smear Gozaburo's men with the blood. Then come back and wash your hands."

Seto looked away. "I can't go back. I can't look at what I did."

"Ambitious fool!" Sakura exclaimed. "Give me them, then – it has to look like they did it."

She stalked out of the room. Presently, there was a persistent knocking, which caused Seto to jerk. He mentally shook himself. _What is with me?_ He thought. _I jump at every sound_. He raised his hands, and seemed to see them for the first time. "My hands … they're covered with blood," he murmured. "I would turn the oceans red before I could get all of it off!"

Sakura returned and found Seto had not moved. "Look, Kaiba – my hands are red, but my heart's not as white as yours," she said scornfully. She grew cognizant of the knocking and pulled Seto after her up the stairs to her room. "Seto, we need to wash your hands and change into our nightgowns – we can't seem to be awake!" When he still continued to lag, Sakura verily dragged him. "Come on, Kaiba! Don't be lost in that heads of yours!"

The knocking grew increasingly more persistent. Seto laughed sardonically. "Wake Gozaburo up! I wish you could."

*****

At the front gate, the drunken porter rolled onto his back and waved an empty bottle. "Have at ye! You won't take me alive!" he said before falling asleep again.

But the knocking would not stop. It stirred the man to life, and he pulled himself up. "Jeez," he drawled. "Only the devil-porter at the gates of hell would have this much knocking." He staggered to the gate. "Who's there?" he called.  He paused before opening the entrance. "Wait. No, let me guess – " He rubbed his temple and held the bottle to his forehead. " – You're a farmer who hung himself after he found out the crops he kept wouldn't sell as much as much as he thought!"

The knocking, which had temporarily ceased, started again. "No, ya dunce!" the voice called. "Jus' open up already!"

"One more try – " the porter called back. "You're … a Christian who believes in Buddha!"

"Don't be stupid!" another voice said. "Let us in!"

"Oh, you're no fun," the porter said as he opened the gate. "But I suppose it's too cold for hell."

Joey and Tristan rushed in. "Hey! Don't forget me!" the drunk man halloed while conspicuously rubbing the ball of his thumb on the tips of his index and middle fingers.

Joey frowned as he tossed a coin. "Whateva. Why are ya sleepin' in so late anyway?"

The porter took a look at the bottle in his hand, up-ended it over his mouth and, when nothing came out, dropped it. "If you must know," he said with feigned seriousness, "we were up until three having a very important party. And drink provokes three things."

Tristan raised his eyebrows. "Oh really. What are those?"

"A red nose, sleep, and urine," the porter said as he counted on his fingers. He used the middle finger twice so that he seemed to come up short. "And I always forget what the other one is. Lessee … it can't be lechery. The drink provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance…"

"Jeez, sorry I asked," Tristan muttered. "I take it the drink knocked you out last night."

"Yup," he said, shaking a finger and weaving as he spoke. "But I give it a good one!" He smiled a silly smile and passed out.

"Ah, I give up," Joey said. "Where's Kaiba?"

They heard a muffled scrap and looked up. Seto had come out and was looking down on them from behind the rail above. "Good morning," he said.

"Mornin', Kaiba," Joey said. "Is da king up yet?"

Seto shook his head. "Not yet. Why?"

Joey started up the stairs. "Gozaburo wan'ed me to visit 'im early. I almos'  forgot."

Seto watched Tristan come up as well. "I'll bring you to him," he said, and went down the hall, and tapped at the right door. "This is it."

Joey paused before entering. "Might as well go in – he asked me to," he rationalized.

Seto crossed his arms and leaned on the wall behind him and closed his eyes. "Is Gozaburo supposed to leave today?" Tristan asked him. He nodded affirmation.

"Last night was crazy," Tristan said, making small talk. "The wind howled like a murdered person, and the owl outside my window would not shut up. And apparently, there was an earthquake."

"It was a rough night," Seto agreed.

"I can't remember anything like it," the thane murmured.

Suddenly, Joey came out of the room and slammed the door shut. He leaned on it, breathing heavily. "What's the matter?" Tristan and Seto asked.

"'e's dead!" he panted.

Seto shook Joey. "What did you say?"

"Do you mean Gozaburo?" Tristan said.

"Go see fer yourself," Joey said, still gasping. "Don't make me talk anymore."

Seto shoved Joey aside. "Move!" he said, and entered the room with Tristan.

Revived, Joey began running up and down the hall. "Murder! Murder!" he cried. "Yami! Bakura! Noah! Wake up! Dere's been murder!"

Sakura opened her door just in time to catch Joey. He ran headlong into it and collapsed. "Joey!" she said as she knelt to help him. "What are you doing running and screaming like that?"

He shook his head. "No. You don't wanna hear dis." He saw Yami Yuugi approach them. "Yami!" he yelled. "Gozaburo's been murdered!"

Sakura stood with a gasp and stepped back, shaking her heard. "No," she whispered. "Here?"

Yami Yuugi offered Joey a hand. "Tell me you're lying."

Joey pulled himself up as Seto and Tristan returned. With them was Daemon. Sakura noticed her husband had bloody hands. She made eye contact with him and gave a small nod. "If I had died just an hour before now, I would have lived a blessed life," Seto said. "Now nothing is important. The wine of life has been drawn, and nothing is left but the dregs."

Bakura and Noah appeared behind Yami Yuugi. "What's wrong?" Bakura asked.

Seto laughed bitterly. "You are, and you don't know it. The very source of your blood is stopped."

"What?" Noah asked, still not comprehending. He looked at Yami Yuugi and Sakura.

"Your father's been murdered," Joey said.

"What?" Noah repeated. "No! Father!" he ran into Gozaburo's chamber.

Bakura bowed his head in sorrow. "By whom?" he asked softly.

"It looked like the men with him did," Tristan said. "We found them and their daggers covered with blood." We watched Noah return, stunned.

"Forgive me," Seto said, showing Bakura and Noah his hands. "In my fury, I killed the guards."

"Why'd ya do dat?" Joey asked.

Seto turned away. "I lost control of myself. I saw Gozaburo dead and all I could think about was revenge."

Sakura held a hand to her forehead. "Oh God!" she said as she collapsed.

"Someone! Get help!" Joey said as he knelt to attend to Sakura.

Noah pulled Bakura aside. "Why are we so quiet?"

"There may be a traitor among them," Bakura whispered back. "We should go – no one will cry for us."

Noah sighed. "You're right. I just wish we didn't have to leave Father."

The brothers made room for the attendants who came for Sakura. "Look the lady," Yami Yuugi directed.

When they had left, Yami attended to the matter at hand. "Let's meet again when we've clothed ourselves, and investigate this further. I will not stand for this injustice."

"Neither will I," Joey said.

"Nor I," said Tristan, Daemon, Bakura, and Noah.

"All right then," Seto said. "Let's meet in the hall."

One by one they exited to their chambers, until only Bakura and Noah were left.

"What'll we do?" Noah asked. "You said we shouldn't talk with them."

"We should split," Bakura said. "I'll go to England. The longer we stay here, the easier it'll be for whoever killed our father to come after us."

Noah sighed. "You're right. I'll go to Ireland. And let's hurry – there's no point in being polite about it."

Bakura nodded. They dashed down the stairs and out the front gate. At the stables, they hurriedly hitched their horses galloped away.

In his room, Joey finished buttoning his shirt and looked out the window. He spotted the brothers riding away.

"Damn," he muttered.

*****

Sakura looked down on the dining hall from the balustrade above. When the gathering concluded, and the men had dispersed, she approached Seto. "What happened?" she asked. "There was a lot of yelling and shouting and I couldn't catch everything that went on."

He embraced his wife and kissed her on the forehead. "Your Majesty, we are going to Scone."

*****

Daemon was drinking and brooding at a table in one of servants' kitchens when one of the older employees came in. He busied himself with utensils and spoke: "In all of my seventy years, I have never seen anything like this."

The thane laughed bitterly. "Even nature rebels against Gozaburo's death. It should be day, but it is still dark outside. Now, is that so because night has become more powerful than day or because day is hiding its face in shame?"

"How strange," the old man remarked. "Just last Tuesday, a mousing owl attacking and killed a falcon."

The weary thane held up his glass and the old man refilled it. "Put this up on your wall of weird – you know Gozaburo's horses? The nice ones he had?" Daemon said.

The other nodded. "I heard they ate each other."

"I saw it with my own eyes," Daemon said and took a swig of the drink.

Joey entered and began rummaging through the cabinets. "What are you doing here?" the thane of Ross asked.

Joey found some bread and held it up. "I couldn't find any food."

"Hand me some," Daemon said, and Joey tore off a piece and slid it across the table as he took a seat. "How's life?" he asked.

"D'ya hafta ask?" Joey said as he took a bite.

"Do we know who killed Gozaburo?"

"Those fellas Kaiba killed."

Daemon chewed thoughfully. "It's just as well – what good could they do?"

Joey shrugged. "We decided dey were probably bribed by Bakura and Noah. Of course, now dat dey're dead, we can't ask 'em. But I did see dem two traitors run away after we'd found Gozaburo dead."

Thane of Ross shook his head. "I can't believe it. All this just because they're driven by ambition." He looked at Joey. "Then the kingship goes to Kaiba?"

"He's already left for Scone. Dey're crownin' 'im dere."

"What of Gozaburo?"

Joey swallowed a piece of particularly dry bead and took an offered drink. "He's goin' ta Colmekill, an dat's da way it should be."

Daemon stood. "Are you goin' ta Scone?"

"Nah, I'm goin' ta my castle, Fife," Joey said. "Why, are you?"

Daemon nodded.

Joey raised his glass in a kind of toast. "Well, I hope you see good dings dere. We've had enough of da bad stuff."

The thane thanked the servant as he left. The old man shook his head. "It was nothing. But God bless you and the people who try to clean up this mess."


	5. 

It was three days travel to Scone, but Daemon rode fast and arrived with plenty of time to spare. There was a veritable party at the coronation, but he remained removed from the festivities.

            Daemon was perhaps the only person who noticed Seto's break in character when the new king spotted something in the far distance. But when the thane had turned follow Seto's gaze, there was nothing there.

*****

Seto smiled smugly – the promise to him had been kept – but the sight of those three reminded him of Yami Yuugi's end of the deal, and this soured his mood. During the coronation celebration, he remained preoccupied until he found the perfect solution to his problem – he spotted a couple of ill-dressed men trying to drink away their worries.

            "Who are those men?" Seto asked a servant.

            _Should I know them?_ the servant thought. "I think they're just a couple of poor holders," he said.

            Seto smiled, satisfied. "Good. Bring them to me later."

            Confused, the servant repeated, "Them?"

            The king gave him an acidic glare. "Do you see anyone else I maybe talking about?" he growled.

            Cowed, the servant stepped back. "No, milord. I'll bring them around, milord."

            Seto put the smile back on his face. "See that you do," he said and took a drink.

When the servant left, Sakura leaned close to him. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing we should discuss here," Seto said. He stood, took her hand and pulled her up to dance. "For now, let's enjoy the celebrations."

*****

Like Daemon, Yami Yuugi had also been at his friend's coronation. The difference was he had seen the witches. By the time he had returned with Seto to his new hold in Scone he had solidified his suspicions. "Kaiba, he is now all three: thane of Glanis, of Cawdor, and of Scotland, but I'm afraid you fulfilled the prophecy through improper means," he noted with some disappointment. "Yet the same three said you would not last and that my children would rule Scotland." He sighed. "Perhaps there is some hope for Yuugi, and yet it is strange – I don't want it to come true."

He entered his room to pack his things. When he could not find his son, he stepped back out to call for him. "Yuugi! Yuugi! Where are you?"

"Ah, there he is – the chief guest at the banquet!" he heard a female guest herald.

"What?" Yami Yuugi turned to see Sakura and Seto greet him.

"Yuugi," Seto said, "Sakura insists on having a banquet at Dunsinane – a sort of state affair as well as a housewarming party. I'd like you there."

Yami Yuugi grinned. "Kaiba, you're king now, and I am tied to you. Command me to come!"

Seto smiled. Then he studied Yami's almost empty room. "Packing so early? It isn't far to Dunsinane."

"I have matters to attend to," Yami said.

"Hm," Sakura said. "We had attended to ask for your advice, but that'll have to wait for tomorrow. Are you riding far?"

"As far as day, my lady," Yami smiled. "If my horse has anything to say about, however, we'll have to steal hours from the night."

"Just make sure you come," Seto said as he and Sakura turned to leave. He stopped. "Before I go – they say Bakura and Noah have fled. We need to talk about this tomorrow." There was a bit of a pause. "Say, is your son going with you?"

Yami nodded. "Yuugi is coming. Now, we must go."

Seto clapped a hand on Yami's shoulder. "Come back quickly."

Yami bowed. "I will, my liege. Farewell!" he said and left.

The new king turned to face his wife. "Sakura, why don't you get ready for the journey? I need some time alone."

She looked at him apprehensively but consented nevertheless. "All right, Seto."

Seto pivoted on a heel and nearly walked into an attendant. "What do you want?"

"The two men you asked for, my lord, are waiting at the gate."

"So go get them," Seto growled.

He delighted in the haste the servant made to obey him. _I fear no one! _Seto thought. Then he realized: _No one except Yuugi. His pure, brave, wise soul is the only one that stands in my way. He rebuked the Weïrd sisters for prophesying to me, and they hailed him father of a dynasty. To me they promised no such thing._ He clenched his fist. _If that's true, everything I've done is for him. I've killed Gozaburo for Yuugi's sons to be kings._

He laughed. _But not if I have anything to say about it.___

The sound of steps grew louder, so Seto looked up. "Stay at the gate," Seto said to the servant, and he scampered away, leaving the two men he had brought.

"Your servant said you had need of us, my king," said one of them.

Seto nodded. "That's right. Tell me, are you poor?"

They mumbled assents.

"Your land was taken from you, right?"

They nodded again.

"If you had a chance, would you take revenge on who did this to you?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord."

"And if I told you that not only would I give you the name of the thane who did this to you, but that I would also pay you well?"

"My lord," one of the men said. "Do not insult me further –the world has been cruel to me and if you all you're asking for is a murder, I will do it."

"And I don't care what it is," said the other, "so long as it will help me get on my feet."

Seto flashed a toothy smile. "His name is Yami Yuugi, then, now your enemy as well as mine." He put an arm around each and seemed to whisper confidingly. "I am king. If I wanted, I could just have people erase him. But I've got to play to the crowd, and there are some people who might not like that. So I'm asking you to help me."

The man under his left arm nodded. "We'll do it."

The other was more doubtful. "What if – "

Seto ignored him. "You're brave men. Now, I'll tell you the details later. For now, know that when you kill Yuugi, take his son, too. I want this to be clean. So don't do it near my castle at Dunsinane. Now, make up your minds. Once you're in, you're in."

They nodded slowly at first, then more surely.

Seto displayed the smile again. "Good." He straightened up. "Now eat. Hang around. I'll call for you in a minute. I've got some things to do."

He released them and when they had left, he laughed maniacally. _Yuugi__, you fool_, he thought. _Your soul will fly, and if it finds heaven, it finds it tonight_!

****

The parade to Dunsinane had started. But Lady Kaiba was looking back, watching last minute matters at their hold in Scone play themselves out. Last she noticed her husband race two men away from the small castle, but still he kept his distance from the train. After a while, she asked a nearby horsed attendant, "Tell your lord I wish to speak to him."

He nodded. "Yes, milady."

Sakura allowed herself to slump when he left. "I've got what I want, so why aren't I happy?" she sighed heavily.

She heard the increasingly loud jangle of horse equipment approaching and sat up. Sakura opened the carriage door and called out to the approaching rider: "Seto, why do you insist on traveling alone?"

Seto remained silent. He had sobered after his second meeting with the holders. Then he brought his horse close to the carriage, passed his reins to an attendant, and jumped off the beast into the carriage next to Sakura. He closed the door, allowing private actions and private words. He sagged visibly, resting his head on a hand. "Sakura, we aren't done – the snake's still alive," he said. "Rest? While I rest, I think, and it'd be better to join the dead we've sent than to lie awake thinking my thoughts all night. I envy Gozaburo – nothing can touch him now."

"Come on, Kaiba." She allowed him to lay his head in her lap and stroked his hair. "Dwell on happy thoughts," she urged. "We'll be entertaining guests tonight."

"I know," Seto said. "We have to be careful around Yuugi – he knows us well and our faces must disguise even our hearts to him."

"Don't be so depressing!" Sakura said.

"I can't!" Seto hissed. "He and his son are still alive, you know."

"Yes," she said. "But not for ever."

"That's right," Seto murmured softly. "We can still get him. Before the night is over, something terrible will happen."

She bent her head close to him. "What are you talking about?"

Seto sat up and stared out of the window next to her. "Sakura, you don't need to know – I'll let it be a surprise."

He watched the sunset. "Come, night!" he whispered. "Good things of the day begin to droop and drowse, while night's black agents to their preys do rouse!"

Sakura moved into his line of focus. "Seto?"

He laughed and caressed his cheek. "Don't worry, my lady. I've got it all under control."

*****

The two men Seto had hired for Yami lay in wait on the path to Dunsinane, perhaps a mile from the actual castle. They heard galloping. One of them reached for his dirk, but his hand was stayed. "Stop. The lord and his son will be on two horses, not one."

The trimmed rider slowed and skirted the area. Finally, he got off his horse and headed straight for them. "A bit paranoid, isn't he?" the overeager assassin remarked about Seto.

"Don't jump to conclusions," the second said. "Who sent you?" he asked.

"Kaiba."

The first smiled smugly, but his companion didn't notice it. "Why'd he send a spy?" the second whispered. "He told us exactly what to do."

He who smiled now shrugged. He beckoned the new man. "Hide, then. The sun's setting and the thane will hurry."

The well-dressed man joined them just in time to hear horses. Again the first murderer reached for his knife, this time more surely. "That should be them," he said. "Everyone else is already there."

They watched the two horses wander up the small mogul before them. "Why are they leading the horses?" the second murderer asked.

"Most people do it this way," the hired hand said in a kind of answer.

*

On the mogul, little Yuugi asked the same question. "Why aren't we riding, Dad? We're already late." He was a little ahead, leading with the light.

Yami Yuugi chuckled. "Yuugi, we've ridden the horses hard. They need a break, too. Besides, Kaiba will forgive us if we're a little late."

Yuugi heard a rustle and looked around. "What was that?" he asked.

His father drew his knife and pushed his son back. "What was what?"

Two men ambushed them, frightening the horses. In an attempt to bring them under control, Yuugi dropped the lamp, disguising the murderers' faces with darkness. They quickly surrounded Yami, but no one made the first move. Yami pulled his necklace off and threw it behind him. "Yuugi! Catch!"

But the throw fell short. The large pyramidal artifact on the chain broken into puzzle pieces, and Yuugi gathered them out of the grass. He hurriedly put these in a small sack on one of the horses and approached the fatal scuffle that had started when his father had broken the silence. He gasped when he saw Yami received a knife wound in the side. "No! Dad!"

Yami Yuugi wiped the blood from an earlier slash out of his eye but did not look back. "Yuugi! Run away! You can still get away!"

Yuugi mounted a horse but hesitated before leaving. Yami managed to parry an attack and return with a stab and a thrust. He glanced back. "What are you waiting for, Yuugi?" he yelled. "Ride away!"

A murderer took advantage of the momentary distraction to slash Yami across the abdomen. He collapsed but managed to slice a leg before they finished him.

Yuugi clutched at the reins, causing his horse to rear. "Dad!" he yelled. "No!"

The murderers left Yami and dashed for his son. Yuugi clutched the reins again, and the horse kicked out at the murderers before it was pulled away and into a gallop away from Dunsinane. When the limping murderer attempted to mount the other horse, it did not let him but reared, so that he fell off, and it galloped after his partner, Yuugi's horse.

The third man, the one Seto had sent last, appeared out of the woods. He moved Yami's face with his foot. "You lost the boy," he said.

"We know," the limping assassin snarled back. "Why didn't you do anything to stop him?"

"We can't do anything about that," the other murderer said. "Let's just go tell Kaiba what's been done."


	6. 

A couple of thanes stood awkwardly around the grand dining table at Dunsinane. Seto and Sakura had not yet arrived. There were waves of murmurs along the lines of 'Are we early? Where are the king and queen?'

Suddenly, Seto and Sakura appeared at the balcony above them. He wore a cape that matched his crown in brilliance. She wore a daring spaghetti strap dress with a suggestive slit. The thanes below were speechless.

Seto gestured the table. "You know what to do. Sit." He came down the stairs with his wife. "I will be your host. We'll save Sakura for the proper time."

Sakura laid her head on her husband's arm. "Tell them for me, then, Seto, that they are welcome."

The lords grinned and bowed as they sat.

A knock at the door directed Seto's attention away from the feast. "Look, Sakura – they thanked you." He laid a hand on the remaining chair in the middle. "I'll sit here, then. But I must speak with a visitor. So talk. Be happy. I'll be back to toast soon."

Seto started the attendants with filling the goblets around the table before leaving the hall and meeting the murderer at the door. "There's blood on your face," he said.

The killer wiped his cheek and looked at his fingers. "It's the thane's."

Seto shrugged. "Better on you than in him. You killed Yuugi, then?"

He nodded. "I cut his throat."

The king clapped him on the shoulder. "Well done. And did you get the kid?"

"He escaped, my liege."

Seto clenched the shoulder he held. _No!_ he thought. _My plan was perfect! How could he fail!?_ "But you got Yuugi?" he asked again.

"Yes," the cutthroat answered. "We left him in a ditch."

"The snake has been severely handicapped," Seto muttered to himself. "I can relax."

To the man before him, he said: "Go. We'll talk tomorrow."

He left, and Seto checked his appearance before reentering the dining hall. He noticed his seat was taken and stopped. "My lord," Sakura hailed. "If you don't welcome, the feast will be like a normal meal."

Seto nodded. "Thanks for reminding me, milady. Now, feast well!"

"Isn't he gonna sit?" Tristan asked a little softly.

"All the nobles of Scotland are here, except Yuugi," Seto said. "Let's hope he's late on purpose, not because of some accident."

Daemon spoke: "Whatever it was, he broke his promise. Come, sit," he said, echoing Tristan.

Seto shook his head. "The table's full."

Tristan tapped the empty chair next to him. "Here's a seat."

The king furrowed his brow. "Where?"

The thane regarded him. "Right here. What's troubling you?"

"N-nothing."

As Seto approached the proffered chair, the figure in it seemed to flicker. By the hair the specter had, he could tell it was Yami Yuugi. He hissed into the ghost's ear: "You can't say I did it. Go away!" The ghost seemed to disagree. "Don't shake your gory locks at me!"

Uneased, Daemon stood. "Gentlemen, rise. The king's not well."

Sakura moved to restore the peace. "No, sit. He's been like this since he was a child. Just ignore him – paying too much attention will further disturb him."

She pulled Seto aside. "Are you a man?" she rebuked.

"Only I would dare look at that which would frighten the devil," Seto whispered back.

"Nonsense, Kaiba!" Sakura said. "You're hallucinating again – it's just like that dagger. Quit it!" Seto grimaced and turned away. She forced him to look at her. "Don't make that face at me, Seto. Go, look if you want – your ghost is a stool!"

"No, I swear – he was there!" He turned to Yami's ghost. "You – speak! What do I care? You're dead." Yami dipped his head slowly. "If you can nod, speak!" Seto commanded. "If our graves send us back, we may as well not bury you."

Yami seemed to consider him, tilting his head curiously, before vanishing.

"It's gone!" Seto whispered joyfully.

Sakura shook him. "Have you lost your senses!"

"I sam him," Seto said. "That's all I need to know."

Sakura scowled, irritated. "It used to be when you killed someone he stayed dead," he continued. "But now they come back to haunt us."

Unable to convince him through reason, Sakura tried a different tack. "My lord, your guests miss you."

Seto shook his head to clear it. "You're right."

He took the now-empty seat. "I'm sorry, friends – I have a condition, but I'm all right now." He smiled. "So let's get started – someone, fill my cup."

The dam of tension broke, allowing talk to flood in. Tristan slapped Seto on the back in a friendly manner. Nevertheless, Seto stiffened, he'd felt a cold hand laid on his opposite shoulder. The lord didn't notice, but said, "How's about that toast?"

Seto acknowledged by standing. He raised his cup. "Here – let's drink to our health, and to Yuugi's!" he said. "I wish he were here!"

"Hear, hear!" the lords echoed. A little after the others, a low regal voice said into his ear, "Hear, hear."

Seto hid his shock. "Leave!" he hissed out of the side of his mouth. "You're dead and nothing can change that!"

Beside him, Sakura laughed nervously "Don't mind him," she said. "It'll pass quickly."

But the jovial chatter did not resume. The thanes watched, perplexed, as Seto took step after step away from the table. "No! Step back!" he said as he continued to retreat. "Take any form but his. Or come back to life and then come at me!"

He threw his wine at the specter, and it clung to him like blood. Yuugi put a hand to his throat, and looked at it, wondering at the silvery crimson on his fingers. "That's right!" Seto said. "You're dead! Go away!"

The spirit seemed to sigh sadly. He reached across and marked Seto with the ectoplasmic stuff on the cheek. Then he disappeared for all time.

Seto looked up to find everyone staring at him. "What are you looking at?" she said.

"You've ruined the mood," Sakura seemed to pout.

"I'm sorry," Seto said sarcastically. "You try facing what I saw."

"What _did_ you see?" Daemon asked.

"Don't talk," Sakura reprimanded. "Questions only make him worse. Just go, and don't bother with that rank nonsense. It doesn't matter what order you leave."

"Good night, then. I hope Kaiba feels better tomorrow," Tristan said, but his voice had an odd inflection that was not sympathy.

"Good night, my lords!" Sakura said as she shepherded them out the door. When they had gone, she swooped on Seto. "What was that?" she demanded.

"Blood will have blood," he muttered. "The stones will move to reveal the sacred murderer." Loudly, he asked, "What time is it?"

"It's almost morning," Sakura said impatiently.

Seto reflected on the party. "That dog Wheeler wasn't here."

Sakura threw her hands up in frustration and walked a circle. "What does that have to do with anything? So what if he wasn't? Did you invite him?"

"I need to use more spies," Seto said to himself, almost ignoring what Sakura said. "And I need to visit the Weïrd sisters again. Things will only get bloodier, and I need fate on my side."

His wife held a hand to his forehead, and noted his damp hair. "You need sleep," she said.

Seto sighed. "Come with me. I'm not as tough as I thought. We've only just begun."

Sakura took him by the hand and led him up the stairs to their room.


	7. 

The next afternoon, Seto Kaiba wandered the heath just south of Forres, scouting for the witches. He came upon the trail he and Yami Yuugi had taken last time they were here.

*

The witches were out at noon, finishing some last minute spell and helping Serenity practice her casting. "Thrice the brindled cat has – _hath _– mewed," she chanted.

"Thrice and once the hedgepig whined," Ishizu said.

The raven on Téa's shoulder crowed. "The familiar says it's ready," she said.

"Double, double, toil and trouble," they said. "Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

Téa squeezed Serenity's hand. Serenity began to speak in a quavering voice that gained confidence:

            "Fillet of a fenny snake

            In the cauldron boil and bake

            Eye of newt and toe of frog

            Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

            Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf

            Witch's mummy, maw and gulf,

            Add hitherto a tiger's chaudron

            For the ingredience of our cauldron."

Téa finished: "Cool it with a baboon's blood. Then the charm is firm and good." She bent her head to Serenity. "Good job," she whispered, making Serenity smile.

Ishizu let go and touched the amulet around her neck. "By my necklace – and it hums – something wicked this way comes!"

*

Seto Kaiba roughly followed the same path he had taken with Yami Yuugi. Suddenly he spotted the witches standing by their tree. He blinked. He could have sworn they had not been there a second ago. The king mentally shrugged and brought his horse around.

"You!" he called. "You spoke to me last time. This time, it's my right to interrogate you!"

"Speak," Téa said.

"Demand," said Serenity.

"We'll answer," said Ishizu.

"Then show me," Seto said.

Serenity nodded and waved her hand over the cauldron. "Adder's fork and blindworm's sting, lizard's leg and howlet's wing, stir in the flame."

Téa and Ishizu joined in. "Come high or low, yourself and office deftly show."

A helmeted head rose out of the murky cauldron. Seto recovered from his initial shock and stepped forward. "Now tell me – "

Ishizu held up a hand to halt him. "It knows your thoughts. Be quiet."

The thing inside the helmet spoke. Its voice was a low, hollow roar and its words echoed inside the casque. "Seto Kaiba," it rumbled. Beware the Thane of Fife. Beware Joey Wheeler." It paused to decide, then began fading. "Enough. Dismiss me."

Seto stepped forward. "Whoever you are, thanks for the warning. Now answer me this – "

Ishizu shook her head. "It will not be commanded. Here's another more powerful than the first."

The king watched the cauldron eagerly. So engrossed was he that he started when something appeared. It was a bloody child with face heavily carved. His scalp showed, except for a ponytail near the top of his head. "Kaiba!" it said, its voice a thin treble, but sure. "Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn man of woman born. None of them will harm the king."

Seto laughed as the child descended. "So what was the first apparition for? Now I know Wheeler can't hurt me. His murder will only be a precaution."

Thunder silenced Kaiba. He looked at the surface of the cauldron's contents. From it rose a child. This one wore a crown and had a tree for a scepter. He wore his hair the way Yami Yuugi had, with massive spikes. "Who is this?" Seto asked. "He's dressed like a king."

"Do you wanna hear the prophecy or not, Kaiba?" Téa said. "Shut up and listen."

Seto glared but his irritation did not last long. The boy king spoke: "Be lion-mettled, confident, and proud. Schemes against Kaiba will all come to naught until Dunsinane sits in Birnam Wood's lot."

The king smiled toothily, then laughed maniacally. "Like that'll ever happen. Your prophecies bode well, witches. But tell me one more thing," he urged. "What of Yuugi's children?"

"Seek to know no more," Ishizu said.

"I will be satisfied," Seto said, clenching a fist. "Deny me this, and an eternal curse fall upon you. Let me know!" The cauldron at his feet began to sink momentarily halting his tirade. He looked at the witches, who were now gathered around Ishizu's necklace – she had taken it off. "What? What's going on?"

"Show… show… show…" the witches murmured in turn. Then, loudly, eerily, they summoned: "Show his eyes and grieve his heart! Come like shadows, so depart!"

Ishizu threw her necklace into the air, where it hung. Seto watched, baffled until it emitted an all-encompassing light. He looked away and guarded his eyes, but hands forced him to look, and he heard Téa say, "Your prophecy, Kaiba!"

"Augh!" Seto exclaimed gruffly. "It can't be!"

There was a line of eight, each with Yami Yuugi's likeness, each crowned and sceptored, saved for the last, who wore a double crown and held a glass. He looked into the glass, but it led to infinity, to king after king in his murdered friend's image.

Seto stepped back and bumped into someone. He turned and saw Yami Yuugi, arms crossed before him. Yami beckoned, and one of the kings handed over his scepter. He brought the golden rod up as to strike and the end transformed into a balde. Seto stepped back – or tried; his feet would not move. He closed his eyes, brought his hand up to block, and waited for the death blow –

That never came. Seto sensed another flash of light and opened his eyes. Whatever held the necklace in the air let go. Ishizu caught it. The instant the metal hit her hand, light surrounded the witches and when Seto could see again, they were gone. He looked around wildly. "Where'd they go?" he muttered.

There was the sound of a horse, spooking his own. Seto quickly calmed it and rebuked the approaching thane. "Tristan! Watch it!" He got on his horse. "Did you see the Weïrd sisters?"

"No…" Tristan drew it out warily.

"They didn't come by?" Seto said. When Tristan shook his head, he sighed. "Hyah!" he said as he spurred his horse. "How did you find me?" he asked.

Tristan started his horse as well. "I told your wife I needed to tell you something."

Seto scowled. "And it couldn't wait?"

"I said it was a personal matter."

"What is it?"

"Joey's gone to England."

Tristan watched Seto stiffen. "Hardly a personal matter," the king said.

"It seemed to warrant the attention of three men at your castle gate."

"That's our business, not yours." Seto glared at Tristan. "Now, do you have anything important to tell me or did you just trick my wife into allowing you to herald me with news of that missing mutt Wheeler?"

"That's all, my liege," Tristan said with a hint of a taunt.

"Then leave me," Seto said, and Tristan obeyed.

Seto let off a mad laugh when the thane was out of hearing. "Time, you anticipate me!" he exclaimed. "You hardly give me time to plan my next move before you give me exactly what I want!" He lowered his voice. "I'll take advantage of this to wipe out that mutt's line forever."

He urged his horse faster: "Hyah! Hyah!"

*****

Perhaps a week after the party, Tristan was riding again. On the way back home, he stopped at a lord's hold to rest for the night.

"What do you think of Kaiba's 'official' version of the latest events, then?" the lord said to make small talk the next morning.

"They're stories," Tristan said. "Either that or _some_ coincidence. Let's see – have do they go? Oh yes: Bakura and Noah bribed two guys to axe their dad and ran away so they wouldn't get caught. Then Kaiba gets out of control and kills _those_ two guys so now they can't talk. And apparently, little Yuugi killed _his_ dad, who was pretty close to Kaiba. Then he snapped at the dinner in his new castle."

The thane shrugged. "Considering his uncle and friend were murdered, he's doing quite well, don't you think?" he said snidely. "Wonder what he'd do if he got a hold of those murderers."

"I know Bakura's in England," the lord said. "Joseph's gone there to ask for help from him and Siward. And apparently, Kaiba's heard about this, so he's trying to rally for a war."

"Did he command Joey to come back?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, but Joey said he wouldn't go," the lord said. "That really ticked Kaiba off."

Tristan took a bite out off the meat before him. "I hope Joey took the hint and is moving even faster now that Kaiba knows. This place has been going to hell since he took over, what with the taxes and organized farming."

The lord nodded.

Tristan ate his plate – a piece of bread – and gave a satiated sigh. "Thanks, that was good." He stood. "Whenever you come around to my place, I'll shower you with food."

"I'm glad you're pleased," the lord said. "Your horse is outside. Your hold awaits."

"I've changed my mind – I'm going to Fife!" Tristan yelled as he mounted his horse and had it rear up as in some kind of charge before leaving.


	8. 

The castle of Fife was dark and ill-lit. It had been since the thane left with no mention of when he would return. The faithful servants would light the torches, but the lady of the castle put out any illumination she saw.

She was brooding in her chamber now. An attendant guided Daemon to her room.

"She's in there, milord," the attendant said. He passed his torch to Daemon. "Take this, sir."

The thane hesitated. "Won't you need it?"

The attendant shook his head. "No, sir. It's been like this for a while." He offered the torch again. "Don't worry about me. Take it."

Daemon clapped the attendant's shoulders in a fatherly gesture. "You're a good man."

The attendant nodded and left. The thane knocked on the door he'd been led to. It gave.

*

Inside, Mai was standing with her back to the door, facing the window. She had a folded arm, and a hand to her forehead. "Whoever it is, go away!"

She turned to rebuke the intruder, but broke when she saw her cousin's sympathetic smile. "Oh, Daemon, it's you! … I'm sorry – it's not a good time right now."

"That's all right," he said kindly. "I understand."

"No, you don't!" Mai cried. "You don't understand how it feels to be defenseless, with a son to look after – "

Daemon lit the wall sconce by the door and blew out the torch. "I'm sure Joey had a reason – "

"Then why didn't he tell me?" Mai asked. "Instead of just getting up and leaving?"

"Mai, be patient – "

"Why? He wasn't," she said. "He was a traitor and a madman and a coward to leave for England."

"You don't know whether it was fear or wisdom," Daemon said.

"Wisdom?" Mai repeated in a shaky voice. "Wisdom to leave me, to leave his son in a place he himself left? The fool doesn't even have instinct – any bird would defend its chicks to the death, any bitch her pups – " She shattered and fell against Daemon.

He held her. "Mai, control yourself. I assure you Joey did no such thing. He's been keeping track of the violent disturbances in the politics around us and decided to act. It's a cruel time when we are condemned as traitors but are unaware of our treason, and when we fear without knowing what we are afraid of."

He stroked her hair comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Mai, but I have to leave, too." He held her away and caressed her cheek. "Don't worry – everything will be all right."

There as a soft knocking at the door. Mai dabbed at her eyes before saying, "Come in."

Her son slipped inside. "Hello, uncle," Yuuki said before approaching Mai. "Mother, are you all right?"

Mai held him near and stroked his silky hair. "He was fathered but he has none," she said.

Daemon smiled sadly. "If I stay longer, my tears would make you feel worse and disgrace me," he attempted to joke. "I must go – but Mai? I'll be back soon." He gave his cousin a hug before he left.

Mai took a seat on her bed and set Yuuki on her lap. "What will you do, Yuuki? Your father's dead," she said bitterly. "How will you live?"

"Like birds do," he answered cryptically.

She gave a slight smile. "How, on worms and flies?"

"We'll both make do with what we have."

Mai stroked his hair. "Poor bird, you never feared the trap."

"Why should I? They aren't set for poor birds," Yuuki said smartly. "And even though you say it, Father isn't dead."

"Yes, he is," Mai said. "What will you do for a father?"

Yuuki played with his mother's curls. "How will you do for a husband?"

"Men?" she said derisively. "I could buy twenty of them at the market."

"Why?" he asked. "You'd only sell them again."

Mai hugged Yuuki. "You're too smart for your own good."

*

It was raining just outside Fife. Tristan thanked the latest lord and dashed for his horse. He mounted his horse and rode, but the ground was slick, and the steed slipped, landing on its side and catching Tristan's ankle at an angle.

"Milord, are you all right?" a stableman said as he ran forward to help.

"Yeah, just fine," Tristan grunted as he stood. But when he tried to get on his horse, a bright pain dashed up his leg, causing to yell and fall.

"Milord," the man said, "if you can't ride, I'm sure your destination can wait a day. Our lord will have you."

Tristan shook his head. "No, it can't. I need to get to Fife now!"

"Is it a message?" the stableman asked. "If so, I can take your place."

"No, no, you – " Tristan said before the words registered. "Wait – yes, I've got a message. Tell the lady of Fife and her son, 'Run! Kaiba prepares for war against England.'" He watched the stableman saddle up. "You got that?"

"Yes, milord," the stableman said as he spurred the horse. "I go!"

"Good luck," Tristan whispered.

*

A horseman fully rested from a night slept at the halfway point between Scone and Fife raced toward the castle. Yami Marik laughed as he waved his weapon of choice, a rod crowned with a winged sphere that had the eye of Horus on it.

He activated it; the eye glowed and emitted a red beam that set fire to anything it landed on. The rider laughed some more.

*

After a while, Yuuki said, "I heard you talking with Uncle Daemon, Mother. Is Father a traitor?"

"Yes, he was," Mai said softly.

"What is a traitor?"

She thought of the oath he'd taken years ago.

*

_Her heart was fluttering. There was no backing out now. The castle was fully decked out – there were bows and wreathes and ribbons and candles. And she was in a dress. She could hardly hear the priest's words over her heart. Finally, she calmed herself down enough take in the last words: "Til death do us part."_

_She heard Joey repeat the phrase: "Til death do us part."_

_"You may now kiss the bride."_

_He turned to her and sealed the promise with a passionate kiss._

*

_Well, he's gone now. So much for ''til death do us part,'_ Mai thought. "A traitor is someone who swears and lies," she said.

"And what happens to them?"

"They should all be hanged," Mai said spitefully.

"Every one of them?" Yuuki asked.

"Yes."

"And who must hang them?"

"Why, the honest men."

*

The stableman was halted at the gates of Fife. "Let me in!" he yelled. "I've got an urgent message for the lady!"

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" the keepers called back warily.

*

"The liars and swearers are fools, because there are more than enough of them to turn on the honest men," Yuuki decided.

"Oh, Yuuki!" Mai exclaimed. "But how will you do for a father?"

"If you were crying, I would know Father is dead. If you were not, I would know that I would have a new father soon," her son said pertly in a carefree manner.

She hugged him and laughed. "Yuuki, how you talk!"

The door slammed open, and Mai glared at the unknown visitor, who was not only interrupting but dripping water all over the floor. "How'd you get past the guards?" she asked.

"Please, milady," he said as he bowed. "I've got a message from the thane of Lennox."

"Tristan?" Mai asked. "But why couldn't he tell me himself?"

"Milady, his horse slipped in the rain, and it fell. He recovered but was unable to remount his horse," the stableman said. "He wanted to tell you to run and leave here. The king prepares for war against England. I think the thane warns of attack against you."

*

At the gate, the keepers had another visitor. "Let me in!" he demanded.

"Unless you give us a good reason why, you might as well try letting yourself in!" The men above laughed amongst themselves.

"Very well," the rider growled. "I will!"

He held up his rod. The Eye of Horus flashed and the door was blast open. His horse galloped away but he paid it never mind. Instead, he laughed maniacally as he continued on his rampage.

*

Inside, Mai and the messenger heard screams. "Where will I go?" Mai asked. "What will I do?" I haven't done anything!"

"I can't stay any longer," the stableman said. "My horse is borrowed and my lord awaits."

"Wait!" Mai said, but he closed the door. "You can't leave me!"

"I'm still here, Mother," Yuuki said as he supported her.

*

In the castle, Yami Marik was reveling in the chaos he was causing. He saw a man dash out of a room for the stairs and leapt in his way. Marik removed the lower half of the rod in his hands, revealing a golden blade.

The defenseless man yelled and stepped back. Yami Marik laughed and drew and quartered him before slashing at his throat. Then he pushed the stableman off the stairs. He looked around himself. "Not enough damage," he growled. "Let's cause some more."

He continued up the stairs and began opening doors. "Oh Mai … where are you, dear?"

*

Mai and Yuuki had heard the stableman's screams. "Oh, God, what are we gonna do?" She sobbed as she got up.

"I'll protect you, Mother," Yuuki said.

The door slammed open. "Peekaboo!" Yami Marik said. "Where's Wheeler?"

Mai stepped back, but said defiantly, "I hope you never find him!"

"He fled for England," Marik said, advancing. "He was a traitor."

Yuuki stepped forward, ignoring his mother's "No! Yuuki!" "He was a better man than you'll ever be!" he said boldly.

"What?" Marik growled. "Let's hear you say that again." He slashed Yuuki diagonally across the chest and stabbed him.

Yuuki collapsed. "Mother, run! Don't let him get you, too!"

Mai hesitated. She looked at Yami Marik. "Go ahead," he said. "I enjoy a chase."

She yelled and ran out of the room. Behind her, she heard Yami Marik laugh as he followed in pursuit.

*****

Daemon returned as promised. But as he neared, horror realized his fear. The gate was in fiery splinters, allowing him to look into the castle and view the chaotic interior. There were corpses still burning, and nothing not nailed down had been left untouched.

He slumped on his horse. "Oh, no," he whispered. "Mai … Yuuki…"


	9. 

It had been a month since he left, but Joey finally managed to gain admittance to Bakura's presence. The king of England had respected Bakura's request for refuge and had remained adamant against his visit until Bakura finally heard about it. "It's all right, my lord," he said. "I know him."

He pulled Joey out of the main court. "Let's find some shade to talk. I hear that was what you want."

"B'kura, why don'tchu join me ta fight Kaiba?" Joey said. Diplomatic introductions were not his forte. "We need ta save Scotland. Tha country's been goin' ta pot since he became king."

"I believe you," the regal son said. "But I can't go with you. You were his friend – and he may have asked you to bring me to him in return for a … favor."

"I was your friend, too, B'kura," Joey said. "And I'm no backstabba."

Bakura sighed. "But Kaiba is. And now that he's king, nothing stands in his way." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Joey. I can't accuse you of something you're not. Kaiba may have fallen, but there are still good men who resist him.

"But there's something that strikes me as dubious." Bakura said. "How desperate were you to leave and abandon Mai and Yuuki?"

Joey shook his head. "I give up. If you don't believe I'm tryin' ta help you and Scotland, I'm not gonna stay an' convince ya."

Bakura caught him. "Joey, please don't be offended. I have our country's best interests in heart. But if I were to return, there would be a far worse evil on the throne."

"What?" Joey stiffened. "Who could be worse dan Kaiba?"

Bakura turned away. "I'm talking about me. I'm greedy, I lust for women, I covet your land. Better Kaiba at the sinking helm than me."

"Hey, dat's not true." The thane turned Bakura to face him. "Even if you are like dat, you've got enough kingy characteristics to make up for it."

The heir sighed. "No." He removed Joey's hand and stood away. "I don't. Wisdom, perseverance, patience, courage? I don't have any of those. I delight in seeing how far I can go."

"Oh man," Joey said to himself. "We're screwed."

"If someone like that may be sovereign, tell me," Bakura said. "Because that's who I am."

"Someone like dat? Reign?!" Joey repeated. "Someone like dat shouldn't even be alive!" He groaned. "Oh man! I failed Scotland! Kaiba's a tyrant and B'kura's a sinnin' maniac – I give up!"

Joey felt a hand on his shoulder and heard "I'm sorry." "Huh?" he said.

Bakura took a nearby seat. "I had to make sure you weren't working for Kaiba and loved Scotland as much as I do. I've never been with a woman, or gone after someone's things. If I were king, the people would command me, as they do so now." He looked at Joey. "I am raising an army with Siward, and I would be honored if you would join us."

When the thane didn't answer, he prompted, "Well?"

Joey joined him. "Gimme time. You can't expect ta tell someone a lie and have 'em believe tha truth a second later."

Near them, the double doors slammed open. "No, I will get through," they heard a gruff voice say. "I need to speak to Wheeler."

"Who is that?" Bakura asked.

"'s my cousin," Joey replied. "Yo! Daemon! Ova here!"

Daemon stopped in mid-stalk and pivoted on his heel. Upon seeing Joey, he apologized to the attendants he had run over in his urgency to find his cousin. "Joey! Bakura!" he greeted as he approached.

"How goes Scotland?" Bakura said.

Daemon sighed. "It's so bad anything I told you would already be old news."

"How's my wife? How's Mai? And Yuuki?" Joey asked.

The thane hesitated before answering. "They're fine. I left them in good health."

"Come off it, Daemon," Joey said. "You were neva a good liar, even when we were kids."

Daemon looked away. "When I came back a second time, your castle had been flamed. There was no one left."

He saw his cousin stunned into silence. "If no other good came out of this, men have joined our cause. Your wife and son were popular," he feebly offered as comfort.

Joey stood, his clenched fist shaking. "Dat Kaiba. I swear I'll kill 'im for killin' mine."

"Calm down, Joey," Bakura said. "Be a little patient. Soon Siward and his ten thousand will join us, and then you can have your revenge."

Daemon helped Bakura up, and together they assisted Joey out of the room.


	10. 

* * *

"This is the second night we've done this," the impatient doctor said. "When is it you said the lady last walked?" 

Sakura's maid-in-waiting bit a lip as she counted the days. "It happened the last time my lord went out, as if when half of her goes, it is the half that seals her peace. Last time," she recalled, "she took a piece of paper, wrote on it, read what she wrote, sealed it away, and went back to sleep."

The doctor raised his eyebrows. "How curious. Did she say anything?"

The maid hushed him. "She's coming!"

He resumed his post just outside Sakura's door. He breathed in sharply when the queen came out, clothed only in a nightgown and holding a miniature torchére. In all senses, she seemed to be awake.

"Why does she have a light?" the doctor whispered.

"The queen demands one by her continuously."

"Her eyes are open," the doctor noted as he dug through his bag for a pencil and something to write on.

"But she can't see, I assure you."

They watched Sakura rub one hand over the other, twisting them around and around. "Yes, here's a spot." She wringed harder. "Out, damn spot! Out, I say! Don't worry milord." She imagined conversation with Seto. "No one will know what we did, so wash it off. Who would've thought the old man had so much blood in him?"

The doctor opened his mouth to speak, but the maid put her hand over his lips.

"I wonder where Joey's wife is," Sakura continued, almost casually. "Will this spot never come off?"

The doctor pulled the hand off. "Gentle lady, you shouldn't be hearing this," he hissed to the maid.

Sakura held the butt of her hand to smell it. "The stench of blood is still here!" she cried. "All the perfume in the world couldn't hide it!"

"Her heart is troubled," the doctor said, intrigued.

"I wouldn't have such a heart in me for the dignity of my whole body," the maid said contemptuously.

"I've heard of cases like these – the sleepwalkers died in their beds," the doctor murmured.

"Wash your hands, Seto – and change into your nightgown," Sakura muttered. "And don't look like that. Yuugi's dead and he'll stay that way."

She took an invisible hand and focused on a point that would've been Seto's face if he were there. "Come to bed," she said. "Someone's knocking and we have to look like we were sleeping." She left holding her hand out behind her as if leading Seto.

The doctor stepped out from against the wall. "And she'll go to bed now?" he whispered.

When the maid nodded, he dared to speak louder. "This is new – confessing secrets in one's sleep. I'm afraid I can't do anything – she needs help from God." He packed up his things. "I can only put her under suicide watch, that's all." He stood to leave. "Good night, my lady," he said. "You've given me much to think about."

"Good night, doctor," the maid said and checked on Sakura a last time before leaving.

* * *

There would be battle on the moors of Scotland.

There had scarcely been half a year of peace. This time, the front would rush from the heart of Scotland, from Birnam Wood. Messengers ran back and forth between commanders and soldiers while the men organized.

A recovered Tristan, Inogashira, and two other thanes, William and Ushio, shared a drink before they left to join Bakura, Siward, and Joey at the Wood. "Does anyone know about Noah?" Ushio asked.

"He's not here," Tristan said. "I've got a list of everyone here and he's not it. Siward's kid and a lot of other greenhorns are here, though."

"What's Kaiba doing?" William asked.

"He's fortifying his castle," Ushio said contemptuously.

"It's a pity – his army has no love for him," Inogashira said.

William saddled up his horse. "Who can blame him for starting, then? It seems no one likes him very much."

"Well, let's get rid of him, then," Ushio said as he mounted as well. Inogashira and Tristan followed suit.

Tristan spurred his horse. "Let's go!"

Each thane left to command the soldiers they'd assembled. The army was only half strength, but it was already impressive.

* * *

Seto stood alone at the balcony that overlooked all of his Dunsinane territory. He growled at the attendants standing behind him: "Don't bring me any more reports. I have nothing to fear until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. And until there is a man not born of woman, I cannot be defeated. Dare to tell me I'm not invincible!"

He heard light steps and whirled to find a shaking servant. "What is it now, you fool? I love that goose-look you've got," he taunted. "Where can I get one?"

"There are t-ten thousand – "

"Geese, dunce?" Seto said.

"S-soldiers, sir," the servant stuttered.

He slapped the boy, causing him to yell and reddening his face where he had been hit. "That should put some color in your face – your cheeks were counselors to fear." He crossed his arms. "What soldiers were they?"

"The English," he whispered softly.

Seto picked him up by the lapels and hissed into his face: "I can't hear you."

"The English!" the servant said.

He smiled and threw the boy away from him. "Leave my sight!"

The servant scrambled away.

He turned away. "Mokuba!" Seto called. _I'm restless, _he admitted as he paced, _but at least I'm in control. I have no friends but I have this kingdom and no one can take it away from me!_ "Mokuba!"

A little boy came running and nearly ran into Seto. "What is it, Seto?"

"Is there any more news?" he asked. He did not reprimand Mokuba for addressing him by his first name. Mokuba was his favorite – almost a son, really.

"No, Seto."

"I'll fight till from my bones flesh be hacked," Seto muttered.

"Get me my armor," he ordered.

"But Seto, you don't need it yet."

"Get it anyway," he said. "How's Sakura?" he asked the doctor.

"She's not physically sick," the doctor disputed. "She's got some illness of the mind."

Seto advanced on him. "Isn't there anything you can do? Don't you have some antidote to clear her mind, some kind of herb to clean her heart?"

"She has to take care of that herself," the doctor said.

Seto picked him up just as easily as he had the servant. "Tell that to the dogs – I won't have it." He dropped the man and held out his arms to allow his attendants to equip him. "Try this, then, doctor: Cast the water of my land and purge it of disease," he said mockingly. "Tell me what remedy would scour the English. Do you hear them?"

"Yes, milord," the doctor answered.

"And yet I will not be afraid of death and bane till Birnam Forest come to Dunsinane," Seto repeated.

The doctor left him at the balcony. _They're coming here?_ He thought. _Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, profit again should hardly draw me here._

* * *

Bakura was astonished by the number of men Tristan and Daemon had managed to assemble, either directly or indirectly through other thanes. "Combined with the men Siward brought from England, we'll far outnumber Kaiba's men," he murmured.

"Dat's da point," Joey said. "We wanna win, don't we?"

"But it's not their fault," Bakura said, referring to Seto's army. "I'm not sure they _want_ to fight us – he's just ordering them to."

"That's what you do with an army: order them around," Tristan said.

"We can't crush them – we have to show them compassion," Bakura whispered. "We need to hide our numbers…"

Loudly, he said to a soldier, "Spread the word that everyone is to bear a bough from this forest before him."

Despite the strange request, the soldier bowed, saddled up and left to do so. Another replaced him, pulled Siward outside, and whispered into his ear.

The Englishman straightened up. "I've word that Kaiba intends to stick this out – he won't fight the siege."

Bakura nodded. "That's his best bet. From what I've been told, given the opportunity, both nobles and commoners would rebel against him. Like I said, the only soldiers he has are mercenaries."

Joey mounted his horse. "Let's get goin'! We're not gonna get anythin' done just hangin' here!"

"He's right," Siward agreed as he joined Joey. "Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate, but certain issue strokes must arbitrate." He held up a sword. "We advance for war."

* * *

The doctor knocked on Sakura's door. "Milady, are you there? I have something that will … make you at ease."

The door opened slowly, revealing haggard, ill-kept queen. "I heard you and Seto talking," she said. "You said you had no cure."

The doctor somewhat nodded, someone shook his head as he held up a vial. "I placed you under suicide watch, but you've only gotten worse. This is a way to end it all."

"Is it poison?" she asked as she took it.

"It's a little bitter," the doctor said in a kind of answer as she uncorked the glass. "You might want to – "

Sakura put the vial to her lips and tilted her head back. She leaned backwards a bit too far over the rail and let go.

* * *

He had Mokuba at his side on the balcony. "We should hang banners and put welcome mats at the door," the king said. "We'll withstand everything they've got."

He heard several high-pitched wailing noises, but did not turn around. "What was that?" he asked.

"It sounded like women crying, Seto," Mokuba said. "I'll go check."

"Mmm," Seto said in acknowledgement. _I'd almost forgotten what fear was like_, he thought. _I was new to this game once. Now nothing can shake me_.

Mokuba reentered. "What was that cry?" Seto asked.

The boy remained at a respectful distance. "The queen, my lord, is dead."

Seto was stupefied. He stood alone, and pushed Mokuba away and he approached. "Sakura?" he whispered. "You couldn't wait until after? We would have had time – together! – then.

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time,

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death."

He clenched his fist with closed eyes and continued with strained voice:

"Out out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing." 

Seto heard footsteps behind him that were not Mokuba's. "What do you want?" he hissed.

Mokuba pushed the messenger back. "Let me tell him," he whispered.

"It looks like Birnam Forest is approaching us," he relayed skeptically.

Seto whirled on a heel. "You lie!"

The messenger stepped forward. "I'll endure your wrath, if it's not as I say," he said. "But look for yourself before you act."

The king stalked out of the balcony, Mokuba close behind him. "I swear, if you're lying, I'll hang you myself."

Seto assumed the messenger's post with a gasp. _The witches – they cheated me!_ "Mokuba! Ready the horses! There's nothing left! Let's go!"


	11. 

Below, Bakura led the charge. "Throw down the leaves and attack!" he called to the first troop.

He rode up to Siward. "You, noble uncle, shall lead the first charge, you and your son. Joey and we shall take care of whatever's left," Bakura said, naturally, if clumsily, adopting the royal 'we' Seto never got used to using.

Siward and Kyou rode forward. "Wish us well!" Siward yelled back.

"Give 'em all bloody hell!" Joey called. "But save Kaiba! He's mine!"

* * *

Seto spun around in the dining hall, phobically recoiling from any noise. "They've tied me to a stake!" he said. "I can't fly!"

A young teenager in armor seemed to step out of nowhere. "What's your name?" Kyou asked. His voice hadn't broken yet.

"You will be afraid to hear it," Seto said with a smile, putting away his own fear with anticipation of combat.

"No, even if it were the worst name in hell," Kyou said, stepping forward.

The king drew his sword. "My name is Seto Kaiba."

Kyou held his sword up as well, and spit at Seto's feet. "I hate you and your name."

Seto smirked. "You're scared."

"I'll show you who's scared!"

Kyou yelled as he rushed him. Seto neatly blocked the attack and easily drove him back. Kyou's strength and endurance were no match for his. He relentlessly outsparred the boy until he fell to his knees. Kyou threw his sword away and looked up defiantly.

"You enter my castle, you steal my army, and you look to kill me, even now," Seto said. "But I forgive you." And with a blow, he beheaded Kyou.

He stepped over the body. "Maybe if your mother hadn't been a woman you'd have had better luck."

* * *

Joey had separated from Bakura a while ago. He caught the clatter of armor from the dining hall and dashed to the source of it. He spotted Kyou's head and body and held his sword at the ready. "Kaiba!" he called out. "Show yourself! You killed Mai, you killed Yuuki, you killed Kyou, and now you run? Face me like a man!"

He heard the clatter armor – it was hollow this time; Seto must have ran into a manikin in mail. "I'll find you, Kaiba!" Joey as he resumed chase.

* * *

Siward met up with Bakura outside the castle. "It almost gave up without a fight," he said.

"I thought it would," Bakura said. "We met foes who fought beside us."

Siward bowed when they reached the portcullis. It was not broken. "Dunsinane, my lord," he said as they entered.

* * *

Seto heard the weighed clangor of armor approaching and came to a stop. "Turn around, Kaiba!" the challenger called.

He faced Joey. "Leave, mutt. I've killed enough of you already."

The thane put up his sword. "You're not runnin' away from a challenge, ya spineless scepter stealer!"

Like Kyou, he rushed Seto. Instead of returning the assault, however, Seto parried the blow. Again and again, Joey thrust and jabbed and attempted to corner his opponent, only to be further infuriated when he did not attack but shifted out of the way.

Seto realized he was wearing Joey down, if passively, and put away his sword. "Wheeler, you mutt," he said. "You can't defeat me. No woman born of man can."

Joey placed the tip of his sword under Seto's chin. "Well, see, dere's a legal technicality here." He smirked. "I wasn't really _born_ born. I was yanked out a little early."

Seto gasped. He stepped back. "You're not of woman born? I won't fight you."

"No?" Joey asked. "Dat'll make it so much easier for me ta stick you up on a pole so we can all have a good laugh when dis is ova."

The king drew his sword. "You will do no such thing. I will not yield to kiss the ground before Bakura's feet and to be baited with rabble's curse." He took a step. "I will destroy the last of your line, Wheeler."

"Let's see you try," Joey said as he swung.

But the blow was a little high. Seto ducked low, and brought his sword around, knocking Joey off his feet. He dug his blade into the joint in the armor right under the thane's neck and prepared to put his weight behind it.

Quickly, the thane shoved it off with his own saber and followed through the motion so that he cut Seto's hand.

Seto not only lost his balance but his sword. He scrambled to get it, but Joey kicked him in his side and brought the hilt of his sword down between Seto's scapulae. The king fell prone and rolled in anticipation of a blow, but found himself staring down Joey's blade. Joey knelt, still holding the sword steady, and whispered a jeer: "All hail the king of Scotland!"

Seto's eyes widened with fear as he realized: _I lost…_

With the rest of his strength, Joey sliced through bone and removed the tyrant's head. Seto went without a sound.


	12. 

Bakura and Siward hailed Daemon as he came out of the castle. "This was a good war, wasn't it?" Siward said. "Ended nice and fast."

"There are no good wars," Bakura said. "Joey is missing, as is your son."

"Kyou is dead," Daemon said. "My men removed him from the castle – he'd gone to look for Kaiba."

"Were his wounds on his front?" Siward asked.

Daemon nodded.

"Then I'm proud of him," he said. "My son gave no inch."

A noise from within the castle alerted the three to Joey's arrival. Their eyes were drawn to his gorgon's head.

Joey tossed it down and bowed deeply before Bakura. "Hail, King!" he said. When he heard no echo, he prompted, "Well?"

Daemon and Siward grinned. "Hail, King of Scotland!"

Bakura smiled and nodded as he accepted the title. "Then before any more time passes, we grant you three the title of earls as thanks. We must also remember to bring back anyone the former king scared away, and punished anyone who willingly worked for that tyrant and his queen."

The new king smiled even wider now. "But first, let's go celebrate at Scone!" he said.

"I'm up for dat," Joey said as he rode to find his friend. "Wait 'til Tristan hears about dis!"

* * *

Noah reread the letter in his hands. "What?" he said indignantly. "He crowned himself without me?"

He heard a small shuffle and looked up. There were three women standing before him. "What do you want?" he asked.


End file.
